by Dan Campion

“Electrons are extremely round.”—Live Science 

They might have been shaped like a pear
Or Aphrodite’s derrière
Or like a pharoah’s pyramid
Or slick night-crawling annelid.

They could have been shaped like a book
Or like a Dalí chess-set rook
Or like a bobble-headed doll
Or like your cocker spaniel.

Our sages, though, once more astound:
Electrons are extremely round.

by Chris O’Carroll

“To murder and chop up a guy from the press?
That’s my kind of statecraft,” Trump has to confess.
“I swoon for a prince when he’s ruthless enough.
For now, though, I’ll act disapproving and tough.”

by Bruce Bennett

“Sesame Street’s Big Bird puppeteer retires.”—BBC News

Big Bird, Big Bird,
where will you go?
You’re not a snowbird.
There’s no snow.

There’s just a world
that’s cold and gray.
Big Bird, Big Bird
is gone today.

by Barbara Loots

The catalog of paper dolls,
and children’s Christmas wishes,
of shoes and ships and sealing wax,
appliances and dishes,
of bicycles and training bras,
red sweaters and plaid frocks,
of power tools and winter coats
and kindergarten blocks,
encyclopedia of dreams,
the hope of everything
an order form might conjure
and the postal service bring
already was forever lost—
and now the store is gone,
another victim in a world
enslaved by amazon.

by Julia Griffin

“PG Wodehouse fans delighted at plans for Westminster Abbey tribute:
Ben Schott, author of a new Jeeves and Wooster novel, reported ‘a ripple of joy’ at the Wodehouse Society dinner when the tribute was announced.”—The Guardian

“Dashed bally decent of those Abbey chaps”
Sprang first to mind; good cheer to men, in sum.
Later, sustained by half a snort perhaps,
The Wooster brain grew pensive. Rather rum
That, of one’s pals, not even Stiffy Byng
Knew of this knees-up? When a chap perceives
A certain murkiness about a thing,
It’s not a bad idea to turn to Jeeves.
“This tribute, Jeeves. You’ve heard of it?” “Yes, sir;
The members of the Junior Ganymede
Applaud it. Readers doubtless will concur.”
“P.G. is for the Abbey, then?” “Indeed
He is, sir.” “Golly, Jeeves!” “Yes, sir, quite so.”
“Right-ho, then, Jeeves. Right-ho, right-ho, right-ho, right-ho!”